Go Geno's

Would you like 'queso' on that sandwich?

Some would say Geno's is directing hatred toward non-english speakers but that is not the truth.

As for Joey Vento, his reason for the sign is as clear as the words on the sign itself. ''They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language.'' He also told the Associated Press: ''We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too.''

Is it too much to ask for a little effort in learning English? Probably one of the most annoying aspects of teaching is when you get a student who doesn't even try. How frustrating to know the world that can open up to someone and see them ignorantly remain blinded to it - not because they can't learn, but because they won't.

I'm struggling with that with Joshua right now, he won't read. Anything. He knows how to read already and doesn't have to read anything anymore. He won't even read Harry Potter, although he loves the movies. I'm trying to get him to read "The Old Man and the Sea," a short, easy, interesting read. He won't try.

Like it or not, a society works best if everyone is able to communicate with one another and this society speaks English. If you volunteer to come here, it is your responsibility to learn English - for you're own good. It doesn't hurt the rest of us if you're a prisoner of your own ignorance.

Whether you believe it happened or not, the story of Babel (Genesis 11) in the Bible is very illustrative of this situation. That civilization spoke the same language and were on the brink of great things until God stepped in and caused them to break into different tribes, unable to understand one another. The city and the tower remained unbuilt and the people separated.

People who speak different languages become untrustful of one another. Getting along with others is hard enough if you can talk to them, miscommunication happens, with a language barrier it becomes so much harder. There are so many ways in which it is wrong to enable non-English speakers to remain non-English speakers. There is no hatred involved in wanting others to learn, only love.

The hatred is keeping them from becoming all they can become.